Neverland
by MusicalGirl97
Summary: Takes place after the finale. Henry has been taken to Neverland against his will, but for what purpose? In order to save him, his family must learn to work together and face the most powerful enemy they have yet to encounter: Peter Pan. Rated T for children in peril and overall darkness.
1. Chapter 1

Henry thought he knew what it felt like to be afraid. There had been many times during his short life that he thought he felt fear. He was scared when he was little and didn't know why the thunder was so loud. He was scared when Sheriff Graham died and he realized his mother was the one responsible. He was scared when Emma and Mary Margaret fell through that portal and he wondered if he would ever see them again. He was scared when Storybrooke was about to be destroyed, taking away everyone he loved and leaving him alone.

But all of that paled in comparison to the fear he was feeling now, as the portal opened up beneath him and he was forced to the edge of the pier. Behind him he could hear his family yelling for him, and he tried to turn around to see them, but Greg pulled his arm forward and he felt himself begin to fall. All the air left his lungs as he saw the portal approaching.

This was what true fear was. He was terrified of what Greg and Tamara were going to do to him, and he was terrified of where they could be taking him. But worst of all, he afraid of being alone. His family would be trapped in Storybrooke with no way to find him or rescue him. Hook stole the last bean, so it was impossible for anyone to follow them. Henry was never going to see his family again.

At that realization, tears began to slip down his cheeks, and the portal closed behind him. He still felt as if he was falling, falling, and would continue to fall forever. He couldn't scream, couldn't breathe. There was only the feeling of magic closing in all around him. Suddenly he felt himself pass through something, a layer of magic gathered more tightly together. Then he passed through another, and another.

Curious, Henry opened his eyes and saw a cloud of green swirling around him, and Greg and Tamara still holding on to him from either side. He looked down and saw a collection of magic approaching. As they passed through, he saw a flash of another world appear before him, and he realized that each layer they passed through was another realm. Wonderland, Oz, and other places he didn't even recognize flashed before his eyes, and he wondered if this trip through the portal would ever end.

Suddenly the magic pulled away, and Henry felt his feet connect with the ground. Unable to stay standing after that long fall, he fell forward and his face collided with the sand. For a moment he couldn't move. Going through the portal had drained him of his energy, though he couldn't say why. He felt tired, and the sand was so warm. He almost wanted to just stay there and listen to the sound of the waves.

But he knew he couldn't. He struggled to crawl forward with his bound hands, and he looked around to get an idea of what world he could be in. They were lying on a beach with white sand, and the sun glinted in the waves of the bluest ocean he had ever seen. It was beautiful really, until he turned to look inland. Before him stood a dark forest, with towering trees that barely let any sunlight through their leaves. Vines wrapped themselves over the ground and around braches, looking like they could reach out and grab you at any moment.

Henry felt a sense of dread coming over him, and he knew he did not want to enter that forest. He didn't even want to be in this world at all, he just wanted to go home to Storybrooke. Suddenly a strong hand gripped his arm and pulled him roughly to his feet. Henry tried to jerk away, but Greg only pulled him closer.

"Let go of me!" he shouted, and continued to struggle against the bigger man. He kicked Greg in the shin as hard as he could, but it didn't make any difference. Tamara came up from behind and grabbed his other arm, immobilizing him even more. "Just let me go back to my family!"

"Sorry, but we can't do that. You're too important to our cause." Greg said, looking around the beach for something, and dragging Henry along with him.

"Why am I so important?" he asked, "What do you want with me anyway?"

A loud screech sounded out in the forest, and Henry glanced over fearfully. His imagination went wild imagining whatever terrible creature could make a terrible noise like that. Tamara drew her gun, and they moved closer to the water. "You're going to do something for us, Henry," she said. "Something important."

"I'll never do anything for you!" he spat back at them. "You're the villains! I'll never help you!"

"We're the villains?" Greg stopped walking and turned Henry so they were facing each other. "No, we're not the bad guys here. All we want to do is get rid of magic, and you're the key to do doing that." Henry felt dread rising from within him as Greg smiled. "Magic ruins everything, you know that. Don't tell me you think that magic is a good thing."

Henry narrowed his eyes and stared back at Greg. "You're lying. You can't destroy magic, it's impossible!" At least that's what his mother told him when he tried to get rid of magic all those weeks ago, which was another reason why Greg must not be telling the truth. Henry knew that magic was bad. It tore apart his family and made good people do bad things. He would like nothing more than to get rid of magic once and for all, but Greg and Tamara were the bad guys. They hurt the people that he loved, and they tried to destroy his home and everyone in it. So how could they want to destroy magic? That was what Henry wanted, and there was no way he and the villains could be after the same thing.

Greg shook his head. "No, it's not impossible. We've done it before, and we'll do it again. But this time, it will be permanent."

Henry narrowed his eyes, and Greg stood up and started walking again. Henry stumbled along as best he could, but the combination of loose sand and being dragged against his will made it difficult for him to stay upright. Before long he tripped, and Greg stopped to pull him up again. He called over to Tamara, who was looking in to the forest. "Do you see anything?"

"No, nothing." She answered. Greg sighed and kicked the sand.

"What are you looking for?" Henry asked. "Where are we anyway?" He didn't answer, but Tamara approached him and grabbed his arm again.

"We're in Neverland."

_"Owen Flynn? The director will see you now." Owen glanced up at the secretary in surprise._

_"Already?" he asked. He'd only been sitting there a few minutes, and from what he'd been told it typically took hours of waiting before the director called for you._

_"Yes, already." she answered, gesturing to the door to the director's office. "Apparently she's very eager to see you." Owen nodded nervously and straightened his suit jacket. Twenty-eight years he'd been working with this organization, ever since he lost his father in 1983, and never once had he been admitted to see the director. Hardly anyone had. Only those who received special assignments were asked to meet with her, and it was considered a great privilege._

_Owen paused before the door and read the words on the window. "Wendy Darling". Just the name, nothing more, but then again nothing more was needed. Everyone knew who she was, what she'd done. Her story was practically legend among all the people who worked for the home office. Owen was told about it when he was just a kid, a kid rambling on about magic and his father but no one believed him. No one, except for Michael Darling that is._

_The old man had believed every word Owen said about a magical town that appeared out of nowhere, and the evil witch who was holding his father captive. Mr. Darling took him under his wing, and Owen looked to him as a second father to himself. It was he who introduced Owen to the home office, gave him his purpose in life. Together they worked for years to find a way to eliminate magic from this world. He only wished the old man had lived long enough to see their project succeed._

_And now here he stood, right outside the office of the woman who started it all. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside. The room was a bit smaller than he imagined, only large enough for a couple of bookcases, the desk, and a single window, but it was no less grand. All the furniture was ornate, and no expense was spared with the decorations of the room. Along the back wall he noticed three large, antique paintings, all depicting scenes from the classic tale of Peter Pan. Peter teaching the Darlings to fly, saving Tinker Bell, and battling Captain Hook aboard his ship._

_Then he dropped his eyes to the woman behind the desk. She wore a white business suit, a pearl necklace and earrings. Her hair was white with old age, but Owen could see that didn't affect her. She stood and walked around from behind the desk to greet him with as much energy and grace as a woman half her age would have done._

_"Owen Flynn?" she asked, reaching forward and shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."_

_"The pleasure is all mine, director."_

_"Oh, you can call me Ms. Darling. Please, sit." She gestured to the chair, and he did as she asked. As she turned around to talk back to her seat, Owen wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. He genuinely hoped she couldn't see how nervous he was at the moment. "Now," she began with her British accent that so familiar to him because of Michael, "I understand you've been working with us for a long time, Mr. Flynn. Twenty-eight years?"_

_"That's correct, ever since I was nine years old."_

_She nodded. "That's an awfully long time. In fact, I'd say you've been here longer than any of our other agents, besides those in my own family of course." She looked down at her desk and begin looking through some papers. It was difficult to read upside down, but Owen thought he caught his name on a few lines. She must have been looking at his personal file. "According to this, you've been looking for a town called Storybrooke all your life, travelling up and down the east coast of America in search of it."_

_Owen nodded. "On my own time, of course." Ever since he was old enough to travel by himself, he'd spent every vacation looking for Storybrooke and his father. Even if he only had one day off, it would be spent driving through the northeast states. New York, Massachusetts, Maine, everywhere. He never found anything, but still he kept looking. He couldn't give up on his father after all this time._

_"Tell me more about this town." The director said._

_"Well, my father and I were camping in the woods and it just popped up out of nowhere," Owen explained. "We drove through that area the night before and it was all forest, and then the next day, a whole town magically appeared. There was this woman, the mayor. Her name was Regina. She had the Sheriff's heart, and she was controlling him with it, with magic. She tried to have my dad killed so she could keep me there, but I managed to escape. My father is... still trapped there. And I've been looking for him ever since."_

_Wendy nodded and walked over to the window. "Ever since I started this organization, I've never heard of anything like this, and believe me, I've been doing this a long time. Longer than you can imagine. This town you're describing... if what you say is true there must be more magic in that place than anywhere we've found so far."_

_"It is true, Ms. Darling. I've seen it with my own eyes." She smiled and walked back to the desk, handed him a picture. He looked down and saw what seemed to be two ordinary people in a city, one man on a motorcycle and another standing beside him on the sidewalk._

_"One of our best people took that picture a few days ago. The man on the motorcycle? That's Pinocchio." Owen's eyebrows shot up, and he looked back at the picture. "She followed him back from an assignment in Hong Kong. Now she's trying to gain the confidence of the other man in the photo, a Neal Cassidy."_

_Owen nodded, and handed the picture back to the director. "What does all this have to do with me?"_

_"They were talking about Storybrooke." Owen froze, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. This was what he'd been waiting all his life for, a sign that he was right. Storybrooke did exist, which meant that he may finally be able to find his father._

_"They... they know where Storybrooke is?" He tried to keep the excitement out of his voice, but it was impossible for it to go unnoticed._

_"Yes, that's why our other agent is getting to know Mr. Cassidy. We hope that he'll be able to lead us to Storybrooke soon," the director said. Then she added with a smile, "And since you have such a personal connection with the town, I'm placing you on the project as well." She leaned down and pressed a button on her desk, but Owen was barely paying attention. He could hardly believe this was happening! Wendy Darling personally assigning him to a full-time search for Storybrooke? It was everything he ever dreamed of._

_A few moments later the door to the office opened, and Owen stood to see who had entered. A dark-skinned woman walked inside gracefully and reached for his hand. "You must be Owen," she said with a smile. "My new partner."_

_He nodded, still not trusting himself to speak. The director then introduced them properly. "Tamara, this is Owen Flynn. Owen, this is Tamara Franklin, my granddaughter."_

_"It's nice to meet you," he said, and turned back to the director._

_"You two will be working very closely together," she said, "So do try to get to know each other. Now, as for your assignment, Tamara will continue to gain Mr. Cassidy's confidence. After this curse is broken, he should make his way to the town. In the mean time, Mr. Flynn, you're going to try to find Pinocchio, August Booth as he goes by in this world. We lost track of him soon after he left New York, and we have reason to believe he was on his way to Storybrooke."_

_Owen nodded and she handed him a file with the name August Booth printed on the front. The director continued. "If you do find your way to Storybrooke everyone there will know your name. We want to keep a low profile at first, so you'll have to change it. Tamara can help you with that."_

_He turned as Tamara nodded his way, confirming she could help him change his identity. "Come on," she said, moving toward the door. "I'll help you pick out a whole new identity." Owen started to follow her out the door, but then something stopped him. He turned around and faced the director again._

_"Thank you for deciding to give me this assignment. I've been waiting for this my whole life."_

_"Oh don't thank me," she said modestly. "I'm not the one who gave it to you."_

_"You're not? But I thought you were in charge of the whole organization."_

_"Oh no, I just handle the day to day administration. The real overseer of this whole thing is..." she trailed off, and a smile came over her face. "An old friend."_

Greg turned around, scanning the beach one more time for any sign of the Lost Ones. "Where are they?" he asked Tamara, but she seemed just as confused as he was.

"I don't know. They're supposed to come looking for you as soon as you set foot on Neverland. At least that's what my grandmother told me." He sighed and looked down at the boy who was still struggling in his grip. He wished this kid would stop fighting him so much so he could focus on the task at hand.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he was spun around before he could protest. Henry slipped from his grip. He tried to reach back for him, but hooded figures were surrounding them, pulling them away from each other. These must be the Lost Ones. One in particular stepped forward and took off his hood. He was tall, with a long scar across his face. Greg had a sinking feeling in his gut that they weren't going to be as friendly as the lost boys he saw in the movie.

"What are you doing here in Neverland?" the boy asked slowly. Greg glanced towards Tamara, since she was the one who knew the most about this land.

"We were sent here by Wendy," she said, but the boy's expression didn't change at all. "We brought the boy you've been looking for, the one who can destroy magic." At that, the boy smirked and turned his attention towards Henry.

"Well, is it true? Are you the one we've been waiting for all this time?" He didn't answer, just stared at the boy with hate in his eyes. The boy smiled and reached in to his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. Greg couldn't see exactly what was on it, but the boy took one glance at it and nodded. "He's the one."

The reaction among the other boys was evident. They seemed surprised that he had finally been found, and relieved that the search was over. They all visibly relaxed, and Greg felt the grip on his arms loosen. "Bag him." One of the boys came up and threw a burlap sack over Henry's head, then they started dragging him over to their boat, him struggling all the way.

The lead boy nodded, and all the others released their hold on Greg and Tamara. "Thank you for bringing him to us," he said, and he turned around to leave. As the other boys jumped back in to the boat, Greg started to panic. They couldn't leave them behind, not after all they went through to find Henry and bring him here. They used magic, opened a portal for goodness' sake.

"Wait, we're coming with you!" he said, and he and Tamara moved toward the boat. The boy held up a hand.

"Your services are no longer required. We can take it from here." He started to turn around again, but Tamara grabbed his shoulder and made him face her again.

"Listen, Felix," she said, and he squinted his eyes. Very few people addressed him by his real name, especially those who weren't from this world. "We've dedicated our lives, given up everything else so that we could get rid of magic once and for all. Both of us have sacrificed more than you know so that we could see this day. So you are going to let us come with you, because not only do you owe us for finding the boy when you couldn't, but Wendy sent us here personally as her representatives, and I would hate to see what happens when he finds out you didn't let us come."

Felix narrowed his eyes, considering all she had to say. After an excruciatingly long moment of thought, he finally gave a barely visible nod. "Fine, you can come with us." he said, a slightly annoyed tone in his voice. He turned and jumped on to the boat, Greg and Tamara climbing in after him. As the boys began to push off, Greg finally got the courage to ask the question he'd been wanting to know that answer to for so long.

"So, who is it exactly that you're working for?" Felix turned around and smiled widely for the first time. Greg felt his heart begin to race in anticipation of the answer.

"Why, Peter Pan of course."


	2. Chapter 2

Emma held her breath as the ship dropped out of the portal. They were still falling through the air, and kept falling for what felt like hours but must have only been a few seconds. Suddenly the ship crashed in to the water, and the impact forced Emma to release her grip on the rope. She fell down and slammed her head against the water-soaked deck, and everything went black. She couldn't see anything, hear anything, feel anything. It was like she was in a void, all alone in the world.

"Emma!" Finally she could hear a voice calling to her, but it sounded distant and far away. "Emma, are you all right?" Someone pulled her to her feet, but Emma still couldn't control her legs. She felt herself slipping out of their grip, until someone stronger came and picked her up, layed her on some sort of crate. Slowly, her vision was beginning to return, but everything was still blurry. "Honey, you need to talk to me. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she whispered as best she could, and she tried to refocus her eyes. Eventually she was able to make out Mary Margaret and David standing over her, looking very concerned. Mary Margaret started to reach out to her, but Emma sat up and pushed her away."Really, I'm fine." Suddenly she felt an intense throbbing in her head, and she reached up. She felt something wet, and her eyes widened. When she pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood.

"No, you're not fine, Emma. Just look at you, you're bleeding all over the place!" Mary Margaret grabbed a cloth and started wiping the blood away, putting pressure on the wound. Emma's head was spinning, but she couldn't stand this feeling of being smothered. She needed space. She reached up and took the cloth from Mary Margaret's hand, pushing her away so she could have some room to breathe.

"It's okay, I can do it myself." The other woman started to protest, but Emma stopped her again. "I'm not a child!" Immediately she regretted her words. This wasn't just Mary Margaret her friend, this was Snow White her mother, and her mother looked heartbroken. Emma sighed and lowered her eyes, unable to meet her devastated gaze. She knew she needed to apologize, but that had never exactly been her strong suit.

"If I may?" Mr. Gold gestured to the wound on her head, and slowly she lowered the cloth. He reached forward and waved a hand over her injury, red sparkles of magic flowing out and stitching up the torn flesh. Instantly the world became clear again, and Emma looked up.

"Thank you," she said quietly, still not quite used to the idea of magic being real. Gold merely nodded and walked away, his cane making a loud noise each time it collided with the deck. With her senses returned to her, Emma was finally able to look around at her unfamiliar surroundings. She was on the deck of Hook's ship, and Hook himself was standing at the wheel. The sails were unfurled and the breeze was moving them across the water. Emma stood and walked over to the edge. Below her rolling blue waves crashed against the side of the ship, and every once in a while the ocean water would spray up and over the railing on to the deck.

Water. That was all she could see for miles around her, not one spot of land. The sun shined against the surface of the water, making it difficult for her to look in some directions. Maybe that was why she couldn't see any islands, because she was sure that there was supposed to be an island in Neverland. And Henry had to be there.

"Henry," she whispered. He was out there somewhere, scared and alone, and who knows what they were doing to him. They needed to find him, and quickly. Emma spun around and stormed over to Hook. "Where are they? Greg and Tamara? They have Henry, where are they taking him?"

"Settle down for a moment, love," he answered. "We'll find them soon enough."

"Soon enough? We need to find them now, they have my son!"

"Miss Swan, I suggest you calm yourself." Regina approached from the other side of Captain Hook and spoke to Emma over the wheel. "We'll never be able to rescue Henry if you don't get a grip and stop yelling at the only person who's ever been to this world before."

Emma sighed and took a step back. As much as she hated to admit it, Regina was right about this. Hook smirked at the former queen. "I appreciate the defense, your Majesty. I always felt you had a soft spot for-"

"Save it, Hook." she snapped, and he immediately quit flirting. Regina looked out over the water and began to speak again, this time in a much gentler tone. "We need to figure out where Greg and Tamara have taken Henry. Do you have any ideas?"

He tilted his head and began to answer, but Emma cut him off. "Wouldn't he be on the island? You know, the one with the lost boys and the mermaids and the politically incorrect Indians?" Hook lifted an eyebrow, and Emma lowered her eyes. "Well, at least that's the story I know."

He paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "Well, whatever tale you've been told is most certainly wrong. There are many islands in Neverland, and each one is full of dangers. The mermaids, for one, are vicious creatures and I sincerely hope we do not encounter them on our journey."

"So what about Henry?" Regina asked. "I mean, where do we need to start looking for him?"

Hook pointed to the port side of the ship. Emma looked out and squinted her eyes. There in the distance she could barely make out a dark smudge on the horizon. "Do you see that island out there?" He looked down at Regina, and she nodded. "That's the nearest spot of land, therefore the most likely spot for your enemies to have arrived when they fell through the portal. We will begin our search for your boy there."

Snow looked over at her daughter, who was having a conversation with Regina and Captain Hook. Her heart ached to be over there, helping Emma figure out what to do and where to go, but she knew she wouldn't be welcomed. A tear slipped down her face, and Snow turned away before it became too painful to watch. She thought about what Emma had done back in Storybrooke, called them Mom and Dad. That was just a few minutes ago even though it felt like a lifetime, and now look at where they were. She was rejecting them again.

"Snow?" David approached her and put his arms around her shoulders. "Snow, are you all right?"

"Is this always how it's going to be with her?"

She turned to look at him, tears filling her eyes. He rubbed his hand along her arm, trying to comfort her as best he could. "What do you mean?"

"I thought we were starting to make progress. I thought we were building a relationship with her, and when she called us Mom and Dad... even though we were about to die I'd never felt more happy. And then this happened. Henry was taken and her walls shot back up. Aren't we ever going to get to be her parents?"

David reached forward and wrapped his wife in a hug. "Snow... I know it hurts, but she's not a child anymore. We have to accept that she is capable of taking care of herself."

"I know she is. But that doesn't mean she won't ever need our help, David."

"I know. And when she needs us, we will always be there for her. But in the meantime all we can do is love her, and wait for her to accept us." Snow looked down, but David reached out and lifted her chin. "We can't force her to let us in. She has to choose that herself."

She sighed and walked over to the railing, David following close behind. She looked out over the ocean and closed her eyes, just listened to the waves. It was calming, just standing there not thinking about anything, but she couldn't do that for long. Thoughts and worries crept up on her and filled her mind. She opened her eyes and whispered one little sentance. "I'm scared."

It was quiet, but just loud enough for David to hear. He placed an arm around her and drew her close, shielding her from the wind. "I'm a little scared, too. But don't worry, we will find Henry. We will always find him," he added with a smirk.

Snow let out a little laugh, but soon her face drew serious again. "It's not just that. I mean, I am worried about Henry, a lot, but also... I'm afraid of what Emma will say, when we tell her."

Anyone else listening to their conversation wouldn't have known what she was referring to, but David knew. "It'll be okay."

"But what if it isn't? What if she shuts down again? What if it's too much, what if she hates us? I don't think I can stand it if she pushed us away again. What if-"

"Everything will be okay, Snow, really." She looked up at him with such a fearful expression, yet he could see the hope in her eyes.

"Do you promise?" she asked.

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Of course I do."

Hook looked out over the ocean at the island, which was growing closer every moment. With these winds the Jolly Roger was making excellent time, and he was sure they would reach their destination soon. He looked down and adjusted the wheel two notches port, and the ship turned accordingly. Hook smiled. It felt good to be sailing his ship again, the smell of salt in the air, the feeling of power he got while standing at the helm. It was as if all the sea were under his control.

Suddenly a loud crash from below deck startled him out of his thoughts. "Of all the bloody- what was that?" He shouted and jumped down to the main deck. The other passengers glanced around at each other in confusion, and Hook noticed that one of them was missing. "Where is Rumpelstiltskin?"

"I'm not sure," Emma replied, "He was here just a minute ago." Hook sighed and stormed towards the door that led below deck. If that bloody crocodile was going through his things, he might just have to call off that truce they had made. Just as he reached the door, it swung open revealing the crocodile himself.

"Look what I found hiding in the cargo hold!" Hook looked down and saw that in his grip, Rumpelstiltskin held a girl. He shoved forward and she fell face first against the deck. "It would seem we have a stowaway."

The girl lifted up her face and pushed away her long black hair. Hook felt a rage build up inside him when he recognized her. "You!" He shouted and pulled her to her feet. "I told you not to come aboard my ship again!"

"And I told you I had nowhere else to go!" She yelled back, and pushed away from his grip. "I needed to get away and your ship was the only place she wouldn't look for me."

"It's my ship, I decide who gets to stay on it."

"Enough!" Regina stepped in between the two and pulled the girl aside. "What's your name?" she asked. The girl continued to stare at Hook for a moment before answering.

"I'm Caitlyn. Caitlyn Ross."

"Well, Caitlyn, what exactly are you doing aboard the Captain's ship when he specifically sent you away?"

She shifted back and forth on her feet and glanced around. Clearly she was uncomfortable with being the center of attention, so David and Snow moved away. "I just... I needed to go where she couldn't find me again."

"Who?" Regina asked. "Where who couldn't find you?"

"My aunt Rachel. Well, she's not really my aunt, that's just what that awful curse..." Caitlyn trailed off, realizing just who she was talking to. She took in a deep breath and looked away, out to sea. When she did, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh... where are we?"

"Neverland." Hook answered. "We're in Neverland, one of the most dangerous realms known to man, on a mission to rescue someone from the clutches of evil. This isn't exactly the place for a little girl."

"I'm not a little girl, I'm seventeen." Hook rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "I can help, you know."

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Help? Oh no, you aren't going to be helping anyone. You are going to stay on board this ship and not interfere with anything we do."

"And why is that?" she asked, stepping forward to confront him.

"Because, you're a liability." Caitlyn narrowed her eyes. Hook shook his head and started to walk back to the wheel, her eyes following him as he went. As he reached the stairs, Caitlyn smirked and reached out a hand, sparkles of white magic dancing around her fingers. Suddenly the stairs flattened and became a ramp. Hook lost his footing and fell forward, sliding all the way back down and colliding with the main deck.

"Liability, huh?" she said with a smirk. Hook felt a fury build up inside him, and he jumped to his feet. He glanced around at the others, only to find them all trying to supress their own laughter, but obviously failing.

"What? What are you laughing at?" He asked angrily. Then he turned to Caitlyn. "You. Since when did you have magic?"

"Does it matter? The point is I have it, and I can help you. Now," she walked back over to Regina. "Who is that we're rescuing?"

"Henry," she said, the smile gone from her face. Now it was replaced by sadness. "My son."

"Actually, he's my son." Emma said, stepping forward to confront her.

Regina shook her head. "Are we really doing this again, Miss Swan?"

"I don't know, are we?"

"I really don't appreciate you always saying that Henry is exclusively yours.

"And I don't appreciate you trying to kill everyone in my family so he'll be exclusively _yours_."

Regina rolled her eyes and started to respond, but Gold cut her off. "Ladies, now isn't really the time for this. We have a larger problem at hand." He gestured off the port bow, and everyone turned to look in that direction. The island was close now, and getting closer every second. Hook steered the ship toward the beach and began hoisting the sails.

"Someone needs to lower the anchor," he said, and David and Snow began working on it. Once the ship was properly anchored, Hook uncovered the row boat and started attaching ropes to the ends of it. "I have enough room for five people in the boat, including myself. Two people need to stay behind and guard the ship."

Everyone looked back and forth at each other, no one wanting to volunteer to stay. Evenutally Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll stay here. You guys can go on ahead." That only left one more person. Gold shook his head and stepped on to the rowboat.

"Well, I'm certainly not staying here." Emma and Regina took one look at each other and they both climbed in as well. It was their son that was in trouble after all. That left David and Snow. He took her hand and stepped back.

"If you want to go, I'll understand." Snow shook her head.

"No... I'll stay behind. You'll probably be of more use than me." He nodded, and climbed on to the boat. Hook stepped aboard and took the ropes, lowering the tiny rowboat in to the water. There were four oars, and Emma, David, and Hook each took one immediately, leaving one for either Regina or Gold.

"Well, pick it up, dearie." He said, and she shot him a glare. "Don't you want to rescue your boy?" Regina sighed and sat down beside Emma, thrusting the oar in to the water with a fury. Gold just smirked and took a seat in the back. With all four of them rowing, it didn't take long for the boat to reach the shore, and they ran aground against the white sand. Emma jumped out, her boots splashing in the waves as she hurried up the beach.

"Come on, we have to find Henry!" she shouted, and Hook looked up.

"Wait, wait!" He ran forward and grabbed her arm, pulled her back toward the water. "We need to stay together."

"Wouldn't we be able to cover more ground if we split up?"

Hook tilted his head reluctantly. "Technically yes, but Neverland holds many dangers that the lot of you are unfamiliar with. It would be safest for all of us to stay together for now." David finished pulling the boat ashore and walked over to them.

"He's right, Emma. We need to keep an eye on each other."

"Oh, like you kept an eye on Henry?" Regina said sarcastically. David glared back at her.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I just don't think I should be listening to lectures in safety from the man who lost my son in the first place."

David shook his head defiantly. "How is it my fault? He was kidnapped!"

"Yes, and he was standing right next to you when that happened. You should have been watching him!"

"Well I'm sorry, but I was a little busy recovering from the explosion that trigger caused, the trigger that you created by the way."

Regina rolled her eyes, and Gold finally approached them. He was having some difficulty walking in the sand with his cane and his bad leg. "If we're going to be placing blame for the abduction, personally I question Emma's decision to bring him along anyway."

At the mention of her name, Emma joined the discussion. "Excuse me? I wanted to keep him close to me, he's my son."

"Exactly, and as his mother you should have considered the most responsible course of action, which would be to leave him in the hands of someone who could keep him safe. Instead you dragged him in to the vicinity of a very dangerous situation," Gold explained, "Not the smartest idea if you ask me."

Emma just couldn't accept that this was her fault, it was impossible. She always made the best decisions for Henry, she knew what he needed. "Well, if Hook hadn't taken the last bean, there would have been no danger at all." she said defensively. Everyone waited for Hook to say something in his defense, but there was only silence. Emma glanced around, but the pirate was nowhere to be seen.

"Um... where's Hook?" she asked, but no one knew.

"He didn't leave us, did he?" Regina asked, trying to keep the scared tone out of her voice, but it was impossible. She glanced around, left and right, but still there was no sign of him. Certainly he wouldn't have abandoned them now, it didn't make any sense! "If he just ran off and left us here, I swear I'll kill him."

"Over here!" A distinctly British voice shouted from the jungle. Emma shot Regina a look, and they all hurried off in the direction of the voice. They brushed past trees and bushes with large leaves. It was already fairly warm in Neverland, and now that they were in the jungle it was humid too. Add that to the thick coat she was wearing, and Emma was burning up. But, she kept going, running until she reached a clearing.

The Captain sat at the center, picking through the remains of a fire with his hook. Regina approached him threateningly. "What happened to everyone staying together?"

"Well, I wanted for all of us to start the search immediately but the rest of you seemed to be otherwise occupied." He stood up and gestured back down to the fire. "I recognize the way this fire is constructed. The lost ones were here."

"The lost ones?" Regina asked, "Who are they?"

"A group of boys who were brought here by the shadow centuries ago. They're ruthless... and I think they may have your boy."

"What makes you say that?"

Hook walked around the campsite, pointing out different tracks and signs. "These footprints were here very recently, and they seemed to leave in a hurry. My guess is they saw Greg and Tamara fall through the portal with Henry, and they immediately went after them. They were probably waiting here, which means they're most likely in league with your kidnappers."

Emma shook her head. "But... why are Greg and Tamara working with the lost boys? And why do they even want Henry in the first place?"

"Because they work for Peter Pan." Gold said, finally coming out of the forest after falling behind. Everyone turned to look at him, unnerved by his ominous tone of voice.

"And what do you know of Peter Pan?" Hook challenged. Gold shot him a glare.

"I know that he was the first person to set foot in Neverland, and I know he's been searching for a certain boy ever since." He looked around at each person, letting the information sink in before continuing. "I believe that Henry is that boy. And that means he is in grave danger."


	3. Chapter 3

Tamara sighed and looked up at the sky. It was almost noon, and the sun was reaching it's highest point. Rays of heat beamed down on the small boat, making every single thing hot to the touch. Wherever she laid her hand, it immediately burned her. She glanced over at the Lost Ones, who weren't even breaking a sweat, and they were all wearing thick, dark cloaks. How were they completely unaffected by this unbearable heat? Maybe it was because they had lived in it for so long. Perhaps they were just used to it, but Tamara definitely wasn't.  
She tugged at the scarf around her neck, a cute fashion choice back in their world, but here it was simply impractical. With one quick movement she pulled it off and tossed it in to the water. Maybe the mermaids would have a use for it, she certainly didn't need it. Next she took off her coat, but this she laid on the seat beside her. That article of clothing might come in handy later on, and it was an expensive brand. Now in her black t-shirt, Tamara felt a little bit cooler than before, but it was still burning up.  
She glanced over at Greg, who had taken off his coat as well. He scooted over to her and whispered, "Is this what you expected Neverland to be like?"  
Tamara laughed sarcastically. "Not at all. Grandma didn't describe anything like this." She looked over to the right as they passed another large island. It was covered in a misty jungle, much like all the other islands they had passed on their journey. After travelling for so long, she was beginning to wonder just how large Neverland was.  
"Well how did she describe it?" Greg asked. Tamara thought back to those nights she would spend at her grandmother's house when she was just a little girl. Both of her parents were often too busy with work to pay much attention to her, so most of her childhood was spent being passed between her grandparents. She always loved going to her Grandma Wendy's house especially, because of the stories she told.  
"She said that Neverland used to be a very dark and dangerous place," she said, smiling at the memory, "But after Peter Pan defeated the shadow and took control over it, everything was made right again. She told me that the lost boys helped Peter Pan make sure no evil invaded the land, and that there were large groups of children and all they did was play games all day long."  
Greg glanced around at the sea surrounding them. "Well," he said, "I don't see any children playing, and something tells me these lost boys or lost ones or whatever you want to call them aren't just here to protect Neverland from evil."  
She looked over at the Lost Ones. Most of them were at the front of the boat, and those who were closer still didn't seem to be able to hear their conversation. "So what are you saying?" she whispered, keeping an eye on the closest boy.  
"I'm saying," Greg whispered back, "That either your grandmother was lying to you, or something has drastically changed since the last time she came here."  
Tamara knew the first option was impossible. She trusted her grandmother more than anyone else in the world, she would never lie to her. That only left the possibility that something changed, and she definitely didn't like the sound of that. What if the shadow had taken over again? What if he was now controlling the Lost Ones, and they were being lead in to a trap? What if Peter Pan was... dead?  
She shook her head. No, she couldn't think about that, it simply wasn't possible. Everything, their entire plan, depended on Peter Pan helping them. He was the only one who knew exactly how to use Henry to destroy magic, so without him they were doomed.  
"Just... keep an eye on them," Tamara gestured towards the Lost Ones, and Greg nodded. Suddenly, she felt something crash against the boat. Her hands gripped the sides of the plank she was using for a seat, and she desperately tried to hold on as the ship got hit again.  
"Mermaids!" someone yelled. Out in the water, flashes of color were zooming by the boat, circling it like vultures. One smear of sparkling blue rushed by her left side, and she heard the sound of splintering wood. Tiny shards of the ship flew towards her face, making a few scratches before Greg grabbed her and pulled her to the floor. All around there was yelling, screaming, moving. Everything was happening too quickly, Tamara could barely keep up.  
Then she saw it, a slimy, scaled hand reaching for one of the boys. It grabbed him and yanked him in to the water before he could finish yelling for help. "Slightly!" one of the boys called, and grabbed a harpoon. Tamara didn't see what happened next, because another large crash knocked her to the other side of the boat.  
She heard a scream, a small boy's scream, and she looked up. Henry was right on the edge of the little ship, and one of the mermaids was moving towards him. Tamara jumped up, despite Greg's protests and the violent rocking of the boat. She ran for Henry, desperate to keep him from getting hurt. After all, he was their only hope of getting rid of magic. If anything happened to him, all their life's work would be for nothing. He was their one chance to destroy magic, and she was not going to let that opportunity slip through their fingers.  
Henry closed his eyes as the mermaid was about to reach him, but Tamara pulled him back just in time. The mermaid crashed in to the ship instead, snapping a couple of the boards in half, and Tamara and Henry fell down against the floor. She reached over and grabbed on to his other side, holding close to her to keep him from rolling away. Another mermaid smashed against the ship, but they seemed to be okay.  
Both of them were breathing heavily, and everything was so chaotic at the time Tamara couldn't be sure, but she thought she felt Henry holding on to her arm as if his life depended on it, which it did of course. It was strange, just hours ago he was fighting to get away from her, and now he was fighting to stay with her. It just showed how a common cause drew even the worst of enemies together.  
Suddenly Tamara felt water seeping in to her boots, and she looked down. There at her feet was a large hole in the ship, and one of the mermaids was reaching up through it. Now that she was closer she was able to get a better look at their hands, an odd combination of scales and skin, all covered in the muck of the ocean. Their nails were more like claws, razor sharp and easily able to kill a person in just one swipe.  
She kicked the mermaid back in to the water and backed away from the hole. Henry was having a hard time moving with her, so she just stood up and lifted him to his feet as well. It was harder to stay standing than it was to keep from rolling, but somehow Tamara felt safer like this.  
Another lost boy went overboard, and she could see the water around them was stained with blood. She also noticed that the ship was beginning to come apart, and she started to panic. It couldn't end like this. Their quest to destroy magic couldn't be ruined by a mermaid attack! Tamara did not want this to be her fate, and apparently neither did Henry. She could feel him shaking in her arms, the fear of immanent death.  
Behind them Felix was taking out his crossbow. He jumped forward and aimed it at one particular mermaid who was causing a lot of damage to the port bow. The arrow shot out of the crossbow and collided with her neck in the blink of an eye. She let out a terrifying screech and fell back in to the water, the other mermaids gathering around her body.  
Felix crouched down and began to reload his crossbow, but it took more time than he had. The mermaids weren't happy with one of their own being killed, and now they were striking back with a vengeance. One of them practically jumped up on to the boat and reached for Henry. Tamara tried to pull him away, but the mermaid got a hold on his scarf. She started pulling on it, and Henry's hands went to his neck.  
He was choking. The scarf was warpped around his neck tightly, and growing tighter every second. Tamara knew she had to do something fast, Henry had to be saved. He was their only hope, and he had to live above everything else. She grabbed the other side of his scarf and began unwrapping it from around his neck. He took in a deep gasp as the mermaid released her grip and he was able to breathe again.  
Suddenly a gun shot rang out across the ocean. The mermaid that had attacked Henry looked down at her chest, where there was now a gaping wound. She collapsed in to the water, and Tamara spun her head over to Greg, who had taken out his handgun. Then he turned and began firing at the other mermaids, killing several of them and injuring many others. One tried to reach for him, but he killed her before she even got close.  
With so many of them dying, the mermaids turned around and fled from the scene, desperate to save their own lives. Tamara watched the flashed of color underneath the surface, and in just a few seconds they were gone. For a while, no one spoke a word. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the waves splashing against the greatly damaged boat. Down at their feet water was slowly seeping through the cracks in the wood. They were sinking.  
Felix cleared his throat and went over to Greg, pointing to the gun. "What is that weapon?"  
"It's called a gun," he answered, and replaced the clip. "And you're welcome for saving your life."  
"You didn't save my life, we could have handled it."  
Greg rolled his eyes. "Sure you could have."  
He holstered his gun and walked over to Tamara and Henry, wading through the water as he did. He looked down at his feet and took in the sight of their battered boat. "I think we need to go ashore," Tamara said, and he nodded.  
"Yeah, we do. I'll talk to Felix and see what the plan is." As he moved away, Tamara turned her attention to Henry. He was still shaking a bit, but he was clearly trying to hide it. He moved out of her arms and sat down on the bench, turning away from everyone else. She couldn't see, but she thought she could hear him crying.  
It was hard to see that and not feel bad. He was just a little boy, a scared little boy, and she had separated him from his family. He was all alone. Tamara sighed and put a hand to her head. No, she couldn't afford to feel bad about this. Everything she had done, all the steps she had taken to get to this point, were absolutely necessary. There was no other way.  
"All right, hard to starboard!" Felix cried out, and Tamara felt the boat lurch beneath her. Greg came over and sat beside her, started tossing some of the water back in to the ocean. She reached down and began to help him.  
"So, what did he say?" she asked.  
Greg glanced up at the lost ones, who were steering their ship towards the closest island. "He said we had to land and make repairs to our boat."  
"Well, how long will that take?"  
"I don't know, he didn't tell me. But, I would imagine it will be a while. The mermaids caused a lot of damage."  
"Well I hope they work as quickly as they can," Tamara said. "I just want to get this over with." Slowly, the boat approached one of the islands. It looked very similar to all the others they'd passed, a thick jungle covering most of the land, but this one had a slight difference. One side of it's shoreline was filled with large, black rocks. The lost ones guided the ship effortlessly through the razor sharp maze, eventually going through a cave-like opening. A few minutes after going inside, the ship ran aground against the sand and everyone jumped out.  
Most of the boys ran off to the right, where Tamara could see a tunnel leading out in to the jungle. Felix grabbed Henry and pulled him off the boat, dragging him over to her. "Watch him while we collect the wood needed for our repairs," he said, and then he was gone.  
Greg glanced at her shivering form. Now that they were out of the sun, not to mention wet, the temperature had gone down several degrees. He grabbed his coat and handed her the gun. "I'm going to go find some kindling and dry branches so we can make a fire," he explained, leaving Tamara alone with Henry.  
The boy plopped down on to the sand, and she sat a few feet away. Neither of them tried to have a conversation, there was nothing that needed to be said. Tamara looked away, out towards the boat, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Henry doing... something. She turned her head slightly in his direction so she could make it out a little better. He was looking down at his wrists, trying to push the plastic restraints further up his arm. As he did, she noticed the red marks on his skin.  
Of course, with everything that happened with the mermaids he must have been jostled around a lot. The restraints had probably rubbed his wrists raw, the poor kid. Tamara sighed and stood up, Henry's eyes following her as she walked to the boat and grabbed Greg's backpack.  
"What are you doing?" Henry asked, but she didn't answer. Instead, she opened up the bag and found a knife. Henry's eyes widened in fear and he started backing up. "Wait, just hold on a minute!" She reached down and sliced through the plastic, releasing his hands.  
He looked down in shock at his arms, which were free for the first time in hours. Carefully he stretched his muscles, keeping an eye on Tamara the whole time. She put the knife back in the bag and began rummaging through it. "What are you looking for?"  
"The first aid kit," she said, pulling out a white box with a red cross on it.  
"Why?" he asked.  
"To get some ointment for your wrists." She found the tube she was looking for and squirted some out in to her hand. Carefully she began to rub it on to his injured skin, making sure she covered his entire wrist. He took in a sharp breathe, no doubt the medicine made his wounds sting a little, but other than that he said nothing, just watched intently as she worked.  
Then she finished and started to pack up the supplies. Henry looked down at his hands in wonder, then back up at her. "Aren't you going to tie me up again?"  
Tamara shrugged. "What's the point? It's not like you really have anywhere to run." He narrowed his eyes, and she sat down on the sand again. "You're welcome, by the way."  
"For what?"  
"For saving your life back there, with the mermaids."  
Henry tilted his head a little, studying her intently. She looked away, a little uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. "You only saved me because you need me alive," he said. "You're evil. If you didn't want me to do something for you, you'd have let me die."  
She wanted to say he was wrong. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't true, that she would have rescued him no matter what. She wanted to say she was a hero, but that wasn't entirely true. "I'm not evil," she said, as much to convince herself as to convince Henry.  
"Oh yeah?" he countered. "You kidnapped me and tried to kill my family! How does that not make you evil?"  
"I... we were going to send you back," she said, trying to defend her actions. "As soon as we get rid of the magic, I promise you Henry, we will take you back home."  
He glared at her angrily. "You see? That just proves it that you're evil, you're lying!"  
"How am I lying?"  
"If you really make me destroy magic, we won't be able to get back to Storybrooke because we won't have a portal!"  
Really, Henry? Did you honestly think we would come all this way, to an entirely different realm, and not have a plan to get home?"  
"Um..." Henry looked down and reconsidered his thoughts.  
"Magic beans aren't the only things that let you travel between world," she said with a smirk. "Science can do more than you might think."


End file.
